The Yuletide Pilgrim
by Mackenna
Summary: Two young hobbits go on a nighttime search for the Yuletide Pilgrim. A holiday tale. Complete. Cameo: Frodo Baggins, Surprise Guest.


**Title: The Yuletide Pilgrim**

**Genre: General**

**Rating: PG for use of mild language**

**Summary: OC's.Two young hobbits go in search of The Yuletide Pilgrim during Yule's Eve. Guest appearances: Frodo Baggins, and a Surprise guest.**

**Author's Note: A Christmas present for one of my best friends, for Daiz.**

Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

**The Yuletide Pilgrim**

Daisy Took shifted quietly under her blankets, slowly raising her head up and straining her ears.  It was dark, and finally very quiet.  There did not seem to be anyone up and awake in the smials.  Moving the curtain of her window slightly, Daisy could see that the moon was high up, ribbons of pale light shining down upon the dark, sleepy, snowy fields of Tuckburough.  Daisy breathed a great sigh of relief.  For hours, she had been lying in bed since her bed time, (which for 7 year old lads and lasses was 8:30), feigning sleep, waiting for the older children and the grownups of Took and Took relations to finally end their Yule's Eve festivities.  It had taken a very, very long time, it had seemed like an entire age had passed for this impatient, inquisitive little Took.  Straining her ears again, Daisy listened. Yes, it seemed as if everyone had finally gone to sleep. Now to be sure…

Daisy sat up quietly, moved her blankets aside, and slipped out of bed, padding softly across the cool floor to where her cousin Pearl Took was lodged for the Yule celebrations.  Pearl wouldn't be too happy if she knew Daisy was up.  Only a few years away from her coming of age, Pearl would most likely put Daisy back to bed, and sing her sleepy lullabies until she knew Daisy was sound asleep. Pearl was a tricky one.

Daisy crept closer, holding her breath.  Was Pearl sleeping? The lump that was covered by blankets rose and fell steadily, accompanied by gentle, even snoring. Yes! Finally!  Grinning to herself, Daisy tiptoed quickly across the room again, stopping near her bed where another sleeping hobbit lay.  Kneeling down, Daisy began the process of waking Clover Brandybuck.

"Clov! Clov! Wake up! Come on!" she whispered while shaking the small, sleeping form.  The sleeping Clover did not wake, but instead, buried herself deeper into her blankets, murmuring incoherently.

"Clover! Wake up!"

"Ehhmmnphummnp…"

Daisy sat back in her heels and sighed.  Clover had promised to stay awake until everyone in the smial had gone to bed, but trying to get Clover to stay awake while the moon was high was difficult, even with the exciting quest that lay before them.

"Clover!", she hissed, shaking Clover more forcefully, "Wake up! You promised! Remember? Wake up!!"

Still, Clover continued to sleep.

Deciding that desperate times called for desperate measures, Daisy yanked out Clover's pillow from under her head, raised the pillow way up, then swung the pillow down upon Clover with as much force as she could muster.

THWACK!!

Clover's eyes popped open at the sudden impact.  What was that?! Springing up from her blankets, Clover sat up suddenly, knocking hard into a yelping something that caused stars to explode before her eyes.

"OWW!"

"OWWW!"

"Daisy?" she asked, blinking furiously at the stars that continued to swim across her vision while rubbing at her throbbing forehead.

A muffled groan answered.

As her vision began to clear, Clover could begin to make out Daisy, sitting only inches away, also rubbing at her forehead.

"What are you doing?!"

"Shhh! Trying to wake you up!"

"By knocking your hard head into mine?!"

"SHH!! Well, it got you up, didn't it? And you know, your head is even harder…"

A wide grin began to spread across both their faces, the two beginning to giggle at the situation.

"Foolish Took!"

"Silly Brandybuck!"

Across the room, Pearl began to stir.

Daisy's eyes went wide, frantically waving at Clover to be quiet.  The two held their breaths anxiously, watching Pearl. If Pearl woke up, all was lost, and they'd never get to find out for sure. The silence seemed to go on and on. Pearl then rolled over and began to snore once again.  Breathing a sigh of relief, Daisy rose, beckoning Clover to follow.

It had all started after dinner, when the traditional hanging of the stockings took place .Here, Berilac Brandybuck (quite a bully of a cousin) had begun to taunt Daisy and Clover, first taking their stockings, and holding them up high where they could not reach, then telling them that The Yuletide Pilgrim was not real.

_"Here's yours Clover-lass…" Eglantine Took said, handing Clover a worn green stocking, her name embroidered with yellow thread._

_"And yours Miss Daisy…" she continued, handing Daisy a dark blue stocking, also embroidered._

_Clover and Daisy grinned at one another, fingering the worn material of their stockings with excitement.  They had been waiting all day, all week, all month, for the whole year to hang their stockings up.  Pushing their way through the large crowd of Took and Took related children, they made their way to the great mantle where some stockings were already hung._

_The two jostled for a place, and began attempting to hang their stockings near the end where they could easily reach._

_"You two still believe in The Pilgrim?" a sneering voice asked from behind, plucking the stockings from Clover's and Daisy's grasp and holding them up high where neither could reach._

_Clover spun around to see Berilac Brandybuck grinning at the two, while waving the stockings around tauntingly._

_"Berilac! Give them back!" she said glaring, hands on hips._

_Daisy also glared, beginning to jump for the stockings._

_"What if I don't want to?"_

_"Give them back!!"_

_"Why?"_

_Clover shoved Berilac, who had begun snickering loudly at the two._

_"Alright, alright," and with that, he dropped the stockings to the floor, "But you know, The Pilgrim isn't real…"_

_Daisy crossed her arms, her temper beginning to rise, along with Clover's._

_"You be quiet Berilac Brandybuck, he is too!"_

_"No he's not, you know who fills your stockings each year?"_

_"You're a big liar!"_

_" It's the grown-ups, they do it every year…"_

_"Go away!!"_

_"That's why everyone has to be asleep, you silly asses, when else could they do it? When else could 'The Pilgrim' come? They're the liars!"_

_There was silence. _

_"You're lying…" Daisy said again, uncertainly._

_"Go away Berilac, you're mean…" _

_"I'm just trying to tell you the truth---"_

_"Berilac! What are you doing?" Frodo Baggins asked as he pushed his way over. He had been laughing with Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took as they waited for their own stockings, but had caught glimpse of the arising fight and the rising volume that had been coming from the direction of Clover, Daisy and Berilac. _

_"I'm not doing anything!" Berilac protested, looking slightly worried as his older cousin approached._

_"Leave them alone."_

_"I wasn't---"_

_Frodo fixed his gaze upon Berilac, his arms crossed. _

_Berilac hastily retreated._

_"What happened Clover-lass? Daisy?" Frodo asked turning to the two who looked near tears, his face softening._

_"Ber—Berilac took our stockings an'--- an' he wouldn't give them back, then he-- he said that---"_

_"That---that The Pilgrim's not real"_

_"Is it true Frodo?" Clover asked, her voice trembling._

_Frodo crouched down so that he could look the two in the eye. _

_            Leaning forward, he beckoned the two forward as if to tell a secret._

_            "I saw him once", Frodo said solemnly._

_            The two brightened at his words._

_            "Really?"_

_            "You saw him?"_

_            "Really. You know, only good little lads and lasses can see him, only if they can stay awake, and only if he wants them to see him."_

_            "Do you think we could see him too, Frodo?"_

_            "Like you did?"_

_            Frodo smiled._

_            "Perhaps. Now, how about we hang these stockings up?"   _

Now, out into the darkened halls of the Great Smials the two little hobbits went, creeping as quietly as possible as they made their way towards the eating hall where the many stockings hung, hoping to see The Pilgrim.

 Past Pervinca and Pimpernel's room, past Merry, and Pippin's, past Uncle Bilbo and Frodo's…Past Mentha, Melilot, and Celandine's…down, down the hall they went. Almost there… Past Mama and Papa's, and Mama and Papa's, and Uncle Saradoc and Aunt Esmeralda, past Uncle Paladin and Aunt Eglantine…Past old Fereumbras…  

As they drew closer to the eating hall, Daisy squinted in the darkness, cocking her head to one side. 

"Clover…do you hear that?"

Clover stopped, also listening.

Clunk…clunk…clunk…clunk…

"Clover", Daisy whispered worriedly, "I think someone's still up…"

"Let's look…"

Daisy inched closer to Clover as they approached the eating hall, a faint light illuminating the entrance to the eating hall.

Creeping closer to the entrance, Clover and Daisy held their breaths as they peeped around the corner.

Clover and Daisy's eyes went wide.

There in front of them, stood not any hobbit, but a large, stooped figure dressed in long, dark robes, and a large peaked hat. A thin hand reached into a large sac near it's feet, and gently dropped packages into each of the many hanging stockings. Suddenly, the figure turned, as if it had suspected a presence behind it. The two soon found themselves staring up at a pair of clear, bright eyes smiling at them over a veiling scarf. The figure waved a large hand motioning the two to be silent.

The two nodded, still staring, their mouths still open in awe.

The figure continued to dole out small packages, dropping them into each stocking, then began to make his way around the large table, leaving packages at each place. Finally, the figure stopped, and picked up his sac. Turning to Clover and Daisy, the figure's eyes crinkled in a smile again, winking.

"Happy Yuletide young hobbits…"

And with that, the figure turned, and with a blink, was gone.

Daisy turned to Clover, her mouth still agape.

"Did you see that?!"

A wide grin began to spread across Clover's face.

"He is real…we saw him!"

"Berilac _is a liar, the mean sneak! Maybe that's why he could never see him…"_

"I wonder if we can look in our stockings yet…do you think we can?"

Outside, The Pilgrim chuckled to himself, watching Clover and Daisy through the window. Hoisting his sac up upon his shoulders, he drew up his walking staff and began to make his way through the dark and quiet fields, humming softly.  

_End._


End file.
